As the World Falls Down
by the-Mad-Majesty-of-Muchness
Summary: Shortly after Sarah is crowned Goblin Queen, Jareth and his brother get into an argument. Now, the Labyrinth is shifting, changing, collapsing. Jareth's powers are beginning to wane as the Labyrinth destroys itself, and Calum refuses to even speak to him, let alone help, so it's up to Sarah and Kaylein to make things right.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so, um...I'm not abandoning my Laby AU, I promise, I just have kind of lost the inspiration on it, and while I try to get it back, I decided to start on a canon-world Laby fic to help hold you guys over in the meantime, so yeah, here you go. Many thanks to my wonderful friend Billy Jay for helping me brainstorm stuff for this, and...um...yeah, that's about all right now. Enjoy, and please remember to review unless you want to get bogged or stuck in an oubliette. :)**

 **I DISCLAIM!**

* * *

Sarah stared at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a dress of burgundy silk with a Victorian style corset bodice and a full, A-line skirt that was split in the middle to show a panel of the underskirt, which was burgundy satin. The gown was adorned with pale gold embroidered scrolls and stylized ivy leaves that went around the edges of the split skirt and all around the hemline, as well as at the elbows of the sleeves and in two vertical lines down the front of the bodice. The neckline and the upper part of the sleeves were adorned with garnet crystals and studded with ivory pearls. The detachable sleeves laced up on the inside, and the lower part was in charmeuse silk the same pale gold as the embroidery. An oval-shaped faceted ruby set in gold hung around her neck, and her hair was curled and held away from her face by an antique gold hair comb studded with small rubies.

Jareth appeared behind her in the reflection and smiled.

"You look beautiful," he said, gently placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm nervous," she replied. "What if I do something wrong, or...or..."  
"You'll be fine, precious. You defeated the Labyrinth. This will be easy in comparison."

"But what if it's not?"  
"There's nothing to worry about."

She drew in a ragged breath and let it out slowly.

"Jareth, I...I love you, but I can't help but wonder...what if it was a mistake for us to get married? I mean, I'm not from this world, so I have no idea how anything works here, and I wasn't born into nobility, so I don't have the first clue how to be a queen, and I just...What if choosing me was...was wrong?"

He turned her around so that they were facing each other and gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Sarah," he murmured, slowly shaking his head. "My sweet, precious Sarah...It doesn't matter that you aren't from the Underground, or that you weren't born into nobility. What matters is that after thirteen hundred years of ruling alone, thinking that I would be doing so for my entire reign...along you came, and oh, how my world began to turn in a way that was entirely fresh and new and unexpected. You were unlike anything I had ever encountered before, and you still are. You are going to be an _incredible_ queen. I know this simply because I know _you,_ and you, my dear, can do anything you put your mind to. You have absolutely nothing to fear, because you're going to learn as you go, and I will help you along the way, and everything. Will. Be. Fine. I promise."

Sarah stared at him, searching his eyes, though for what, she wasn't sure.

Her life had been a bit of a whirlwind recently.

Four years after the Labyrinth, Sarah, now nineteen, had been sitting in her college dorm room working on statistics homework while her roommate, Mia, went out with friends. As soon as the door had closed behind the other girl, a male voice had spoken, scaring Sarah out of her wits, and when she'd turned around in her seat, Jareth had been lounging on her bed toying idly with a crystal. When she'd demanded to know what he was doing there, the crystal had vanished as he'd stood up, telling her that he had been keeping tabs on her over the last four years even though he knew he shouldn't, and that he had only fallen more in love with her as the years wore on. He'd tried to stay away, to resist, but he couldn't any longer, and therefore had come to see her. He offered once again, just as he had four years ago, to make her his queen, and Sarah, who, by age seventeen, had realized she'd fallen in love with the Goblin King, had leapt out of her chair and cut him off with a kiss, then confessed that she returned his feelings and accepted the offer. Going by the traditions of the Underground, they had then married on the spot, Sarah becoming immortal upon saying her vows, according to Jareth, and he had returned to the Goblin Kingdom alone to make the announcement while Sarah stayed behind to put a few things in order. Six days later, he had returned and taken her back to the Castle Beyond the Goblin City, where they then consummated their marriage, and now, about a week later, here they were, preparing for Sarah's coronation ceremony, which would officially grant her the title of Goblin Queen.

"Everything will be alright, precious," he said softly, "trust me."  
"...I trust you," she replied quietly in what was almost a murmur.

"And besides," he added, "think of this—you'll get to meet my siblings today."

"I didn't realize you had any."

"One brother and one sister, both younger. Calum and Kaylein. He's an insufferable fopdoodle whose name means 'dove,' and yet he turns into a Pergrine hawk, and she's a sweet girl who's not as magically inclined as her brothers, but makes up for it with plenty of natural charm. I gave Calum a duchy to run so that he would stay out of my hair, and Kay has one, as well, though they both pop up here at the Castle every so often for various reasons."

"Does she turn into a bird, too?"  
"A meadowlark. It fits her perfectly."

There was a knock on the door.

"We're ready for you, Majesties," a voice said from the other side.  
"Thank you, Jac, we'll be there momentarily," Jareth called in response.

He turned back towards Sarah.

"Are you ready, precious?" he asked gently.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"As much as I ever will be, I suppose," she said.

He offered his arm to her, and she accepted it, letting him lead her out of the room. Jareth's head advisor, a young man named Jac who was half-elf and half-fae, was waiting for them in the hallway. He bowed as they exited the room, and after he had straightened back up, Jareth gave a nod, and Jac turned, heading down the hall with Sarah and Jareth following.

Jareth, of course, had gone all-out for the occasion, choosing to wear the same outfit he'd worn the first time he offered to make Sarah his queen, the one with the feathered cape that trailed slightly on the ground behind him. Sarah tried not to let the anxiety overwhelm her, instead attempting to focus on the soft rustling sounds that the feathers of Jareth's cape made with his movements and letting it take over her mind so she would be calmer.

They went down a staircase and through another corridor, then stopped outside a pair of double doors, and on the other side of those doors, Sarah could hear the chattering of the crowd of the Goblin Kingdom's denizens who had come to witness the crowning of their new Queen. Jac turned to face them, and when Jareth gave another nod, he bowed again, then slipped through the doors.

"It's alright, precious," Jareth murmured to her. "Deep breaths, and remember, I'm going to be right there in the room the entire time."

Sarah swallowed nervously and nodded, and then Jac's voice became audible from the other side of the doors as the crowd's noises died down.

"Presenting," Jac said, "His Royal Majesty the Goblin King Jareth!"

They could hear applause break out, and the doors opened. Jareth stepped through, and they closed again, leaving Sarah by herself for the time being. They had practiced this. Jareth was going to make a short speech, then introduce Sarah, and the doors would open for her, at which point she would walk down the open aisle in the middle of the room, the same one that Jareth had just walked to reach his throne, and when she reached the front of the room, that was when the actual ceremony would begin and she would be crowned Queen.

She could hear Jareth's voice, muffled by the doors, making his speech, but she tuned it out, focusing instead on clearing her mind and calming her nerves, though a small part of her stayed alert and was listening for her cue.

"...And now," Jareth said, and Sarah knew it was about to happen, "the time has come for you all to meet your soon-to-be Queen. Therefore, it is my great pleasure to present to you, in her full elegance, my beautiful bride, Princess Sarah!"

The doors opened to the applause of everyone in attendance, and Sarah steeled herself as she stepped into the room. She could feel hundreds of eyes on her, but she didn't pay attention to anyone or anything in the room except Jareth, who was standing at the front of it on a dais with his throne behind him smiling at her. She put her full focus solely on him, and in that way, she was able to make it to the front of the room without completely losing it or breaking down into a panic attack. When she got there, she did exactly as they had practiced, stopping in front of the steps of the dais and letting him kiss the back of her hand before turning to face the crowd. Jareth positioned himself behind her, keeping himself on the dais as he did so, turning when Jac approached him with a polished wooden box.

Jac opened the box to reveal a golden scrollwork tiara with a firestone in its center. Jareth carefully removed it from where it was nestled in the velvet lining and held it aloft over Sarah's head for everyone to see.

"This tiara," he said, "has been worn by the queens of this kingdom for generations. It was worn by my mother, and my grandmother before her, and so on. It is a symbol of authority, and the woman who wears it commands the respect and loyalty of the entire Goblin Kingdom, as well as respect from the other kingdoms of the Underground. I myself have personally chosen the young woman you see before you to rule by my side, and therefore by disrespecting or defying her, you also do so to me, your King. Her word, like my own, is, from this day forward, absolute law within the borders of this kingdom. I now call upon each and every one of you to bear witness to this historic moment."

Hearing this cue, Sarah turned to face her husband and bent at the waist, keeping her head positioned so that the tiara wouldn't fall off once it was in place. Jareth continued speaking, placing the tiara atop Sarah's head as he did so.

"Sarah Evangeline, I hereby bestow upon you this Royal Tiara and all that it represents. From this moment forward, you are no longer a simple human girl from the world above. You are, now and forever, the Queen of the Goblin Kingdom, immortal, everlasting, and absolute. You may rise and face your subjects."

She slowly straightened back up and turned so she was facing the crowd again.

"Citizens of the Goblin Kingdom," Jareth said, "I give to you Her Royal Majesty, Sarah the Goblin Queen!"

The crowd broke into applause, and Sarah let out the breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding as Jareth's hand appeared beside her. She looked over her shoulder at him and found him standing there with his hand extended and a smile on his face. Another throne, this one a bit smaller than Jareth's, had appeared beside his, and Sarah couldn't contain a smile of her own as she turned and took the offered hand, lifting her skirts as she stepped onto the dais and let him lead her over to the thrones. He gave her hand another kiss as she sat down, then went over to his and sort of fell backwards into it, but managed to do it in a very graceful way, immediately taking up his customary lounging position and arranging his cape artfully around himself. He smirked, looking around the room, then training his gaze on Sarah.

"You did it, precious," he said. "I knew you could. Didn't I tell you everything would be fine?"

"I'm sorry I ever doubted you," she replied half-teasingly.

Jareth grinned at her, then turned his head as something in his peripheral vision caught his attention. He stood up as two people approached the dais, one of them a man with a tangled mess of blond hair down to his shoulders and blue eyes, and the other a brown-eyed woman with blonde hair down to nearly her waist that she was wearing in complicated braids.

"Hello there, Kay," Jareth said, nodding to the woman. He then looked at the man and smirked. "And Dove, of course," he added.

"My name. Is not. Dove," the man said through clenched teeth.

"Keep telling yourself that, Dove," Jareth replied.

He then turned and held his hand out to Sarah, who stood up and took it.

"Sarah, precious," Jareth said, "this is my younger brother Calum, and our baby sister Kaylein, the Grand Duke of Aldbridge and the Archduchess of Aluva, respectively."

"It's nice to meet you, Sarah," Kaylein said. "Anyone who can calm Jareth enough for marriage must truly be something special indeed."

"Just a warning, Jareth," Calum interjected, "I saw Anara lurking about earlier. She didn't look very pleased."

"Anara can sulk all she wants, it won't change anything," Jareth remarked.

"Who's Anara?" Sarah asked.

"The Queen of the Nymphs," Jareth replied. "She's fancied herself in love with me for many centuries now, but she's a bit off her head, if you catch my meaning."  
"My advice, Sarah," Calum said, "watch your back around her. There's no telling what's going on in that head of hers concerning the fact that Jareth chose to marry someone else."

"Thank you, I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

Kaylein glanced over her shoulder.

"Calum," she said, "I think it's time you and I took our leave. I'm sure there are those here who wish to come and greet their new Queen, and I believe it's only right that we let them."  
"Of course," Calum agreed. "Oh, but before we go, Jareth, there's something I need to discuss with you in private, so after all this is over, when you have the time, let me know, will you?"

"Oh, fine, if I must," Jareth sighed. "Now go and pester someone else for once, will you, Dove?"

Calum's eyes flashed, and he looked about to tear into his older brother, but before he could get any sound out, Kaylein grabbed his arm and dragged him off into the crowd. Jareth smirked triumphantly, obviously proud of himself for being able to get away with using the nickname and not get any backlash for it.

The next hour or so passed much more quickly than Sarah anticipated. It turned out that the citizens of the Goblin Kingdom weren't the only ones in attendance; there were also leaders and nobles from other kingdoms of the Underground, and she found herself meeting quite a lot of them. King Varen and Queen Kala of the Dwarf Kingdom were there, and so was Amphelice, the Seelie Queen, who made several jibes at Jareth that were somewhere between mean teasing and good-natured, and Sarah learned that this was because the Seelie Queen and the Goblin King had a long-standing frienemies relationship with one another, that they were allied with each other, but also had frequent arguments due to different stances on many topics. King Rolim of the Elves was also there, and Sarah found herself absolutely fascinated by the tattoos adorning his face.

One thing that really surprised Sarah was when a somewhat heavyset woman who looked maybe in her early-to-mid-fifties and, to Sarah, anyway, appeared entirely human approached them, only for Jareth to smile warmly at her and give her a hug. He then introduced the woman as Estara, explaining that she had been governess to him and his siblings when they were growing up, but now lived at one of Jareth's estates out in the countryside and acted as its caretaker in his absence. And, Sarah soon learned, as it turned out, she was right about Estara being human, at least to a certain degree; she was a changeling, exchanged for a Seelie child when she was very young, centuries ago. Most of her life had been lived in the Underground, and she couldn't even remember the human world anymore because she had been away from it for so long. When Jareth expressed surprise at her being there, Estara merely rolled her eyes and said, "What, and miss out on getting to meet the girl who finally tamed the wilder of my two wild child boys? Of course not, Jareth, don't be absurd."

And when the whole thing was finally over, Sarah was able to say that she felt much more confident about everything than she had when she'd woken up that morning.


	2. Chapter 2

**God, guys, I am SO INCREDIBLY SORRY about the wait on this, I have absolutely no excuse. But I watched Laby earlier, so my inspiration is back, YAAAAAAY :D**

 **Enjoy and remember to review!**

* * *

Two days after Sarah's coronation ceremony, Jareth was in his study with Jac going over documents and other things that needed his attention. They were in the middle of reading through the terms of a proposed trade agreement between the Goblin and Elven Kingdoms when the door burst open suddenly to reveal Calum, a highly displeased expression on his face.

"Get out, Dove," Jareth said without even looking up. "I'm busy and don't have time for your nonsense right now, go bother someone else."  
"You said we could speak privately after the ceremony, Jareth. That was two bloody days ago, this can't wait any longer. I'm not gong anywhere until you hear me out."

Jareth stared at his brother in obvious annoyance for several moments, but Calum stood fast and held his ground. Finally, the older of the two men sighed heavily.

"By the ancestors," he muttered, "I can't believe I'm letting myself be dragged into this. Jac, you are dismissed for now, we'll finish this later."

"Yes, Majesty," Jac said as he bowed. He then picked up his clipboard from where it had been sitting on Jareth's desk, turned, bowed again, this time to Calum, and left. As soon as Jac was gone, Calum shut the doors.

"Jareth," he said, "you and I need to have a serious talk."

"Enough of this, Dove, just spit it out already, will you?" Jareth demanded impatiently.

"Fine, then, I'll just get straight to the point. It has come to my attention within these last few centuries or so that you've gotten...shall we say...lax...in your authority."

"And just what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You've become far too...too casual. You go and wander about the kingdom dressed down, you carelessly throw people in oubliettes or bog them without a second thought, even just for minor offenses, you _lounge,_ rather than sit, in your throne, you make idle threats that don't even get acted upon half the time...I must say, dear brother, I never imagined that you would sink to such a level as this in your reign."

"You have a problem with the way I rule the kingdom, do you?" Jareth said. He stood up and came around the desk to stand in front of his brother, pointing a finger in his face. "Let me explain a few things to you, _Dove._ Allow me to jog your memory in case you've forgotten about any of this. First of all, tell me, which one of us is the oldest sibling? Which one of us is the firstborn child? Is it you? Or Kaylein, perhaps? Oh, no, that's right. It's _me._ Isn't it? Yes, and remind me, what does that mean for inheritance of the throne? Does it mean that _you_ took the crown? Does it mean that our sister is the queen? Ah, of course, now I recall! It means that _I_ became king following Father's death, and that _my wife_ is the queen, that _Sarah and I—_ not you, and not Kay, but _Sarah. And. I._ Are the rulers of this kingdom. And do you know what that means, Dove? It means that we can both do whatever we bloody well want, and that includes ruling in whatever way we see fit. It means that the only people who can tell us what to do is ourselves, and that _you_ have no control over either of us. It means that if I want to stick fifty people in an oubliette all at the same time and suspend another fifty above the Bog, I can damn well do it, and neither you, nor anybody else, has any power to stop me. And if you don't like it, then that's just too fucking bad."

"If Mother could see you now..."  
"Mother is dead. It doesn't matter what she'd think."

"You're wrong, Jareth. Just because you're the king, that doesn't mean you can do whatever the hell you feel like doing. Your subjects need a ruler who will do things that benefit the kingdom as a whole, not someone who just does things on a whim because he feels like it. Someone more like Father."

"I have ruled this kingdom adequately for over thirteen _hundred_ years, Calum, and you've never complained about this before, so please, do enlighten me as to what's bringing this on all of a sudden, will you?"  
"It hasn't been a problem before, but now it is! You've gotten far too relaxed, it's absurd! It's like you don't even care anymore what happens to the kingdom! Or the Labyrinth, for that matter!"

Jareth had turned to face away from Calum, but when that comment was made, he whirled back around and smacked his brother across the cheek, his mismatched eyes flashing with anger.

"Don't you ever," he said in a dangerously low voice, _"ever_ say that I don't care what happens to the Labyrinth, Calum. Don't even _imply_ it, do you understand me? You know perfectly well how connected I am to that thing. Saying I don't care what happens to it is like saying I don't care what happens to Sarah. I not only care, I care more than you will _ever_ be able to comprehend."

"Well," Calum said, rubbing his cheek, "you could have fooled me with the way you've been acting."

"You may be my brother," Jareth said darkly, "but I am the one that holds the most power, and this is me as your _king,_ not your brother, telling you that if you don't shape up and stop acting like a peccant mooncalf, I will strip you of your title and your authority, take away your duchy, and put you in an oubliette to rot and wither away, is that perfectly clear?"

"Another one of your empty threats that you don't plan to act upon," Calum remarked. "Hm. How terribly predictable of you, Jareth."

"Be quiet."

"No, I actually don't think I—"

"Dammit, Calum, will you shut your mouth for once in your life and let me focus?!" Jareth snapped.

That was when Calum noticed that his brother was starting to turn somewhat pale. His shoulders were visibly rising and falling with each breath, and he suddenly seemed overcome with exhaustion. He stumbled forward and placed his hands on the desk, leaning heavily on it as he grimaced.

"Jareth?" Calum said.

"...Something's not right," Jareth half-muttered.

"What do you mean? Everything seems fine to me."

There was a pause as Jareth clenched his eyes shut, his breathing becoming more and more labored.

"The Labyrinth," he said. "Something is wrong with the Labyrinth. Someone's been tampering with it. Someone _is_ tampering with it."

"What? But that's not possible, you're the only one with any power over the damn thing."

"I...I need to get out there...find out what's happening. I need—"

"I don't much care what you need right now, Jareth. You can deal with whatever problems you're having on your own. I'm going back to Aldbridge. Contact me once you've come to your senses about what we discussed."

Without sparing a single backwards glance, Calum left the room, leaving the doors wide open and Jareth leaning on the desk for support. The Goblin King remained like that for another moment or so before his strength gave out and he collapsed onto the floor. He tried to get up, but he felt strangely lightheaded and his vision was swimming, and he only barely succeeded in lifting himself onto his elbows.

 _I am the Goblin King,_ he thought. _I am one of the most powerful and respected leaders in the entire Underground. My very name strikes fear into the hearts of many. I have not ruled this kingdom for so many centuries only for it all to end on the damn floor so soon after my own marriage and my wife's coronation. I will not leave my precious Sarah alone, not like this, not this soon. This is_ not _how I die. It does_ not _end here._

As if the very thought of his wife had been enough to summon her, Sarah passed by the door as she went down the hall, but when she saw Jareth on the floor, she halted in her tracks, her eyes growing wide.

"Jareth!" she cried, rushing into the room and falling to her knees beside him. "Oh, God, Jareth...What's wrong, are you hurt? Tell me what I can do to help."  
"The Labyrinth," he managed. "Something's wrong with it, precious. It's...It's being tampered with somehow. Whatever's being done is...it's draining me..."

"What do you mean, how is it draining you?"

"Draining my powers, my energy...The Labyrinth and I...we're connected...If that connection is severed, the Labyrinth will collapse, and I'll lose my powers...Dammit, I have to get out there. I have to find out what's happening, put a stop to it."

He tried to get up, but as soon as he was on his knees, the room began to spin, and he collapsed again. His eyes fluttered shut, and Sarah began to panic.

"Oh, God," she muttered. "What do I do? I can't leave him alone like this, but I have to...Help! Somebody help, please, it's an emergency! Oh...hold on, Jareth, don't give up just yet. Somebody get in here! _Now,_ dammit, this is—"

"Sarah?" a voice said. "Is that you? What is it, what's going—"

Kaylein froze in the doorway, her eyes growing huge at the scene before her.

"By the ancestors," she breathed. She lifted her skirts and hurried over, kneeling down beside her sister-in-law. "What's happening, is he alright?"

"I don't know, I...He said that something's wrong with the Labyrinth, it's being tampered with and it's draining his powers and energy. What are we going to do?"  
"I'll tell you what we're going to do, you're going to stay here and watch him while I go get help. I'll be back as quickly as I can, don't leave his side while I'm gone!"

Sarah shook her head as Kaylein stood up and went rushing out of the room to find someone who could help.

"Oh," Sarah murmured, shaking her head as she fought back tears. "Please don't give up. Stay with me, please. I can't lose you, not like this, not so soon. I wouldn't be able to bear it if you were gone. Dammit, Jareth, I need you, do you not understand that? If you're not around, then...then I'll have come to the Underground for nothing. The whole reason I came in the first place is because I love you, don't you realize that? I wanted to be with you."

She sighed heavily and looked around.

"Please hurry, Kay..."

* * *

Kaylein stood in the hallway outside Sarah and Jareth's chambers with her arms around her sister-in-law's shoulders as they both waited anxiously for news about how the Goblin King was doing. They had been there together for what felt to both women like a lifetime, and it was pure torture for Sarah not knowing if her husband was going to be okay, especially since they were still very much in the newlywed stages of their marriage and still highly caught up in each other in many ways.

Finally, the door opened, and the healer who had been examining Jareth for the past hour or so stepped out.

"Well?" Sarah asked. "How is he? Is he going to be alright?"

"He seems fine for now, though he is quite exhausted," came the reply. "I wasn't able to determine much about what's happening. The King's connection to the Labyrinth has always been somewhat beyond my comprehension. You must understand, Your Majesty, it...it's very old magic, almost to the point of being considered archaic. Only King Jareth himself fully understands all of its secrets, the rest of us are strictly forbidden from knowing all the details. But if what His Majesty said to you is true and someone really has been tampering with the Labyrinth, then..."

"Then what?" Kaylein prompted.

"Then I believe that the only way for him to fully recover is to put a stop to whatever is going on."

Sarah took a moment to absorb everything she had just been told, then gave a nod.

"Alright," she said, "thank you. I'll send for you if needed, but for now, you may go."

The healer bowed, then took his leave. After he was gone, Sarah turned to Kaylein with tears in her eyes.

"What are we going to do, Kay?" she half-whispered.  
"We have to find out who's tampering and stop them," Kaylein said.

"But how are we going to do that? I'm still getting acclimated to the Underground, and...no offense, but Jareth told me you're not as magically inclined as he and Calum are."  
"No, I'm not. And it may be true that you're still getting used to things, but you _are_ the Queen, so you hold plenty of your own power, even if it's not the magical kind. Besides, we have Calum to help us."

"I don't know, I just..."

"Look, I'll go find Calum and explain the situation to him, and you go in and see Jareth since I know you're dying to, anyway. Once I find that other brother of mine, I'll bring him back here and we can work out a more solid plan of action, alright?"

Sarah hesitated for a brief moment before nodding in agreement.

Kaylein hugged her.

"It's going to be alright, Sarah," she said, "I promise. He's my brother, I care about him, too. And I'm not about to let something like this take him from us."

Sarah nodded again, and Kaylein gave her another quick hug before turning and going off in search of Calum. Once she was alone, Sarah took a moment to try and compose herself so that Jareth wouldn't put unnecessary stress on himself by worrying about her when he saw her expression. After doing that, she opened the door and went in.

Jareth was lying in bed on top of the covers with his eyes closed, still fully dressed except for his boots, one arm draped across his middle. His chest visibly rose and fell with his breathing, which seemed a bit ragged, and he looked a bit paler than usual. Sarah went and stood beside the bed, gently brushing some hair away from Jareth's face. When he felt her touch on his skin, his eyelids fluttered, then opened halfway. For a moment, his eyes wandered the room aimlessly, and he looked confused, as if he didn't recognize his surroundings. Then his gaze landed on Sarah, and a more relaxed expression washed over his face.

"Sarah," he breathed, smiling tiredly at her.

She returned the smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.  
"Exhausted, mostly," he replied.

She sat down beside him on the edge of the mattress, taking hold of his hand.

"Don't worry, Jareth," she said. "Kay and Calum and I are going to figure out what's going on and fix it so you can get better. I promise."

"I don't think Calum will be very inclined to help me at the moment, in all honesty."

"Why not?"

"We got into an argument just before I collapsed. Apparently I've gotten too relaxed in my way of ruling the kingdom, and he disapproves."  
"Once he finds out what's happening, though, I'm sure he'll help. He's your brother, after all. I doubt he would let something like an argument get in the way of that."

Jareth smirked faintly.

"You don't know him like I do, precious," he said. "Besides, he said he was going back to his duchy, so it wouldn't surprise me if he's long gone by now."

"Either way, we'll figure this out," Sarah said. "I promise. I'm not going to lose you, Jareth. Not like this, and definitely not so damn soon."  
"Nor do I intend to leave you in this manner. I promised you forever, precious, and that is _exactly_ what I am going to give you. I am not about to go back on a promise to you."

Sarah gave a somewhat weak smile, grasping his hand between both of hers.

"I love you, Jareth," she said quietly.  
"And I you, my precious thing," he replied.

For a few moments or so, a comfortable silence hung in the air between them, then Jareth sighed heavily.

"Dammit, I can't stay here in bed like this," he said. "I need to be up doing things, moving around, keeping myself occupied. Just because I'm a bit weakened, that doesn't make me a bloody invalid. I feel perfectly fine, I just don't have quite as much energy as I normally do."

"Are you sure it's a good idea for you to go wandering around?" Sarah asked. "I mean, what if you collapse again and there's no one nearby to help you?"

"If it will make you feel better, precious, I'll keep Jac with me just in case. He and I have some things to finish taking care of, anyway. Calum interrupted us earlier, so we never did come to a decision about that proposed trade agreement."

Sarah nodded.

"Okay," she said. "That'll work. I trust Jac."

"So do I. He's a good man, I wouldn't be able to handle half the things that need my attention without his assistance."

Having said this, Jareth pushed himself up into a sitting position. Sarah got up and stood by, ready to help him if need be, but he managed to get out of bed on his own. He grabbed his boots from where they were sitting nearby and pulled them on, then gripped one of the bedposts for support as he stood up. He swayed a bit on his feet very briefly, but was quickly able to steady himself. He went over to the window and conjured a crystal, then sent it away, watching as it floated and bobbed its way downwards before re-entering the castle through a different window. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Jareth called.

The door opened, and Jac stepped into the room and bowed.

"You sent for me, Majesty?" he said.

"Yes," Jareth replied, "thank you for coming so quickly. I assume that enough time has passed by now for gossip to have started spreading through the castle, and that as such, you must surely have heard that I am...not fully myself at the moment, would this assumption be correct?"

"I...I may have overheard the odd detail from whispering maids, Your Majesty, but I tend to not pay much attention to such things since there's never truly any way of knowing how much of it is or isn't true."

"I trust you, Jac, you must surely know that by now. More so than any of my other advisors, and certainly more than any of those pathetic, half-brained lickspittles known as goblins. Which is why I know that you won't reveal what I am about to tell you to anyone outside this room without first obtaining my explicit permission to do so. What you are about to hear, keep entirely confidential. Do not discuss it with anyone other than myself, the Queen, or my siblings, is that understood?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. You have my word."

"Good. The Labyrinth is being tampered with. By whom or for what purpose, I do not yet know, but the fact remains that it _is_ happening. Earlier today, shortly after I first sensed it, I collapsed. Thank the ancestors Sarah passed by the room when she did, otherwise, who knows what would have become of me? My energy has been drained somewhat as a result of this...catastrophe, and Sarah is concerned that I may collapse again at some point and that no one will be around to help when it happens. It is because of this, along with the fact that you and I still have things to take care of, that you are to remain with me at all times unless I tell you otherwise. That way, Sarah won't have to worry about me, and on the chance that it does happen again, someone will know to go and fetch help. Can you do that, Jac?"

"It will be a privilege, Majesty."

"Excellent. Now, if you will excuse us for a bit, I'd like some time alone with my wife."

"Yes, of course, Your Majesty."

Jac bowed, then turned and left.

Jareth turned to Sarah and took her in his arms, holding her close.

"I'll be alright, precious," he murmured. "Everything will be fine. I promise."

"I hope you're right," she replied.

It wasn't that she didn't trust him. It was just...what if he was wrong? What if things wouldn't be fine? She couldn't lose him. Not so soon.

Something had to be done, and fast.


End file.
